The microwave heating of frozen substances (Q753460)

The microwave heating of a frozen half space is investigated. If the model is based on the classical Stefan condition, the resulting solution exhibits superheating. An alternative approach based on the enthalpy method suggests that the superheated region should be replaced by a ``mushy'' zone. For a suitable combination of conventional and microwave heating, the mushy zone can be completely eliminated. The effect of various parameters is investigated, as is the influence of supplementary conventional heating.